Keenesburg, CO: Home of 500 Happy people and a few Soreheads!
February 2024: Continuing on I76, my next stop was Keenesburg (pop.1,250*), self-declared Home of 500 Happy People and a few Soreheads. Huh? I was eager to explore Keenesburg to see what this catchy town motto might be referring to. The town is located along the growing I76 corridor, with Denver International Airport just 20 miles away. Keenesburg is located in Weld County.
Keenesburg may be best known as the home of the Wild Animal Sanctuary – keep reading to learn more about this truly amazing place.
Keenesburg – A Brief History
Keene Station, named for local homesteader Les Keene, was built along the Burlington Missouri River Railroad line in 1882. Station business was primarily shipping from yearly cattle drives.
In 1906 the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad built a depot at Keene and requested a post office. The post office was established in 1907, but to keep it from being confused with Keene, Nebraska the name was changed to Keenesburg.
Most of Keenesburg’s residents raised livestock or were dry land farmers. Keenesburg was incorporated in 1919 and grew to support a newspaper, the Keene Valley Sun in 1924. By the end of the 1920s the Henrylyn Irrigation System was completed. And by the early 1930s irrigation wells were dug allowing Keenesburg farmers to produce more from their crops.
In 1994, The Wild Animal Sanctuary (TWAS) – a non-profit specializing in rescuing and caring for large predators requiring rehabilitation – was relocated to Keenesburg which offered plenty of space for large acreage habitats to be built. Another benefit is the grassland buffers that could be used for pasture for rescued horses, camels, yaks and other various hoof stock. Originally closed to the public, it was opened in 2001, offering an elevated sidewalk for public viewing. Today the Sanctuary in Keenesburg is home for hundreds of rescued animals and will continue to educate hundreds of thousands of people per year about the perils of captive wildlife.
500 Happy People and a Few Soreheads
I exited I76 to Keenesburg, crossed the railroad tracks and headed to Main Street, which has beautiful historic buildings and local businesses. I had lunch at the 1919 Cafe and met a couple of the 500 Happy people in town who were very friendly and helpful to me! I also stopped by the Roots Local Goods market and bought a few things. The shop keeper and her young son were fun to talk to as well, explaining their community-minded concept. All in all, I was pleased that I had found several of the 500 Happy People – and none of the few soreheads :).
- 1919 Cafe – Google Maps – good breakfast and lunch menu; nice atmosphere!
- Chuy’s Mexican Food – Google Maps
- Ponderosa Inn – Google Maps
- Roots Local Goods LLC – Google Maps – This was a lovely shop in an historic old building. From their website – “We are a year-round farmer’s market striving to offer fresh, nutritious, and unique offerings to our customers. Our mission is to connect our community with Colorado’s quality farm-to-table products, promote sustainability, and deliver exceptional value while supporting the local economy.”
- Keene Market – Google Maps
- A Step Back in Time – Google Maps
A Shout out to the Wild Animal Sanctuary near Keenesburg
The town of Keenesburg has an exceptional organization 8 miles from town, The Wild Animal Sanctuary (Wikipedia webpage). I didn’t get the chance to visit on this trip, but it is high on my list of places to visit soon.
TWAS is the world’s largest of its kind, home to over 1000 rescued animals since its origins in 1980. Today there are 4 sites: The headquarters near Keenesburg (789 acres), “The Refuge” in southern Colorado near Springfield (9,752 acres, not open to the public), “Sanctuary Texas” near Boyd, Tx (41 acres) and a recent acquisition near Craig, Colorado (22,450 acres) – all totaling nearly 33,000 acres of space. Although not a zoo, visitors are welcome to the Keenesburg facility, which offers a 1.5 mile elevated walkway that spans across numerous habitats and provides plenty of opportunities for guests to see many of the rescued animals closer.
Mission: (1) to rescue captive large carnivores who have been abused, abandoned, illegally kept or exploited. (2) to create for them a wonderful life for as long as they live. (3) to educate about the causes and solutions to the Captive Wildlife Crisis.
More to Explore!
Online Website information available:
- Town of Keenesburg – updated website with lots of information
- Keenesburg Area Chamber of Commerce
- Southeast Weld County Chamber of Commerce – The Southeast Weld County Chamber of Commerce (SEWC) was developed in 1963 as the Hudson Area Chamber of Commerce when community business leaders understood the power in community. Together, they believed in supporting each other not only as neighbors but also in business endeavors.
Welcome to the Town of Keenesburg, where our motto is “Home of 500 Happy People and a Few Soreheads.” Keenesburg has a population of approximately 1200 people despite our motto. We are located along the growing I-76 corridor, with Denver International Airport just 20 miles away. We are a flourishing community that is rich in community involvement and agricultural traditions. We offer small town living with the convenience of all of the amenities nearby.
https://www.townofkeenesburg.com/index.php
Town Event Schedule 2024:
- March: Easter Egg Hunt
- April: Rabies Clinic
- May: 3rd Annual Tree City USA, Town-wide Garage Sale
- June: Town-wide Garage Sale continued, Shred it, Town Clean Up, Movie night in the Park
- July: July 3rd Celebration at the Fair Grounds
